e-magazine
Quake Shocks Sichuan
Nation demonstrates progress in dealing with severe disaster
Current Issue
· Table of Contents
· Editor's Desk
· Previous Issues
· Subscribe to Mag
Subscribe Now >>
Expert's View
World
Nation
Business
Finance
Market Watch
Legal-Ease
North American Report
Forum
Government Documents
Expat's Eye
Health
Science/Technology
Lifestyle
Books
Movies
Backgrounders
Special
Photo Gallery
Blogs
Reader's Service
Learning with
'Beijing Review'
E-mail us
RSS Feeds
PDF Edition
Web-magazine
Reader's Letters
Make Beijing Review your homepage
Hot Links

cheap eyeglasses
Market Avenue
eBeijing

Forum
Print Edition> Forum
UPDATED: March 14, 2007 NO.12 MAR.22, 2007
Should Internet Jargon Be Allowed in College Entrance Examinations?
In accordance with the Essentials of the National College Entrance Examination in 2007 issued recently, students are prohibited from using "hard-to-understand" Net-speak in their compositions during this year's national college entrance examination, or they will lose marks
Share

The essentials of this year's national college entrance examination is really impractical, as there are no specific standards on what Net-speak is, which will make it difficult for teachers to mark these compositions.

Xing Yuan (Zhujiang Evening News): Students are always required to write compositions in a vivid way to mirror real life. Who can deny that Net-speak will greatly help these youngsters to achieve this objective? Why can't the national college entrance examination tolerate these modern terms when even dictionaries are always updating and renewing vocabulary? Why is this significant examination so intolerable?

If the national college entrance examination will not accept such innovative items as this web language, how can we expect it to encourage quality-oriented education? In my opinion, it's time for the paper-marking system to change, particularly that for compositions in the Chinese test during the national college entrance examination. Although it will cost more time for teachers to read compositions in Net-speak, it will surely help to encourage students' creativity. There is no lack of ways to solve problems, but the key lies in whether the education departments have the determination and courage to initiate the reform and whether they are willing to work harder for the protection of students' creativity.

Chen Yang (China Youth Daily): As a written form of expression, compositions should stick to the standard written language. Some experts believe that some Net-speak is just too confusing and so will soon be abandoned.

No one can deny that this is the age of Internet. Internet is causing great changes, in our way of life, entertainment, communication and so on. It is in this situation that web culture and language emerge. Undoubtedly, Net-speak is a revolution, taking the old and traditional method of language expression head on, because of its uniqueness. Some terms have been so frequently used that they have formed a "new classic" vocabulary. Terms like "MM" (meaning girls), and "88" (meaning goodbye) are simple in forms, vivid in expression and easy to understand, so no wonder these terms are popular.

Moreover, Net-speak is widely used in literature and media. Since Net-speak has become a component of common culture, isn't it unreasonable to reject it in the college entrance examination? Skilled in vivid and interesting Net-speak, why should young creative students be forced to use old or even awkward language?

   Previous   1   2   3  



 
Top Story
-Too Much Money?
-Special Coverage: Economic Shift Underway
-Quake Shocks Sichuan
-Special Coverage: 7.0-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Sichuan
-A New Crop of Farmers
Most Popular
在线翻译
About BEIJINGREVIEW | About beijingreview.com | Rss Feeds | Contact us | Advertising | Subscribe & Service | Make Beijing Review your homepage
Copyright Beijing Review All right reserved